Engine valve lifter guide

ABSTRACT

A roller-type valve lifter is mounted in an internal combustion engine to reciprocate a push rod in response to rotation of an engine driven cam shaft. A guide and anti-rotation device for the valve lifter comprises a vertically-disposed leg which seats in a slot formed on the valve lifter and a pair of cylindrically shaped arms, extending horizontally from opposite edges of the leg, which seat in a circumferential groove also formed on the valve lifter. A hook, connected to an upper end of the leg by a reverse bend, seats in a bore formed in the cylinder block.

United States Patent 1 1 Weber v 1 1 Mar. 5, 1974 1 1 ENGINE VALVE LIFTER GUIDE Robert L. Weber, Lacon, I11.

173] Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, 111.

[22] Filed: Dec. 26,1972

[21] Appl. No: 318,518

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 123/905, 74/55, 74/569 [51] Int. Cl. F011 l/l4, Fl6h 53/06 [58] Field of Search... 123/905, 90.48, 90.51, 90.6,

Crane, Jr. 123/905 Wortman 74/569 X 57 ABSTRACT A roller-type valve lifter is mounted in an internal combustion engine to reciprocate a push rod in response to rotation of an engine driven cam shaft. A guide and anti-rotation device for the valve lifter comprises a vertica1ly-disposed leg which seats in a slot formed on the valve lifter and a pair of cylindrically shaped arms, extending horizontally from opposite edges of the leg, which seat in a circumferential groove also formed on the valve lifter. A hook, connected to an upper end of the leg by a reverse bend, seats in a bore formed in the cylinder block.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ENGINE VALVE LIFTER GUIDE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Guide and anti-rotation devices normally prevent roller-type valve lifters from rotating during engine operation to prevent skewing of the roller relative to an engaged lobe of a cam shaft. However, many of these devices have not successfully reduced the high noise levels normally generated by such valve lifters, or have required separate parts for achieving the noisereducing and anti-rotation functions. In addition, many such devices tend to loosenafter extended periods of use and inhibit expeditious servicing thereof. Conventional devices of this type are disclosed in U. S. Pat. Nos. 1,422,373; 1,424,205; 1,425,766; 1,501,041; 2,119,096; 2,846,988; 3,108,580; 3,180,328; 3,267,919; and 3,301,241.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to overcome the above, briefly described problems by providing an economical, non-complex and noise suppressing valve lifter guide. The guide comprises a'vertically-disposed first guide portion seated in a first groove formed on the valve lifter and a pair of 'arcuately shaped second guide portions seated in a second groove formed circumferentially about the valve lifter. A third guide portion is preferably connected to an upper end of the first guide portion by a reverse bend and is positioned in a bore formed in the engine block.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a sectional view of a pair of valve lifters and attendant guides, operatively mounted in an internal combustion engine;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of one of the valve lifters and guides; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of the guide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a portion of an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having a plurality of cylindrical bores 11 formed therein to reciprocally mount valve lifters 12. Each valve lifter has a roller 13 rotatably mounted on a lower, bifurcated end thereof by a shaft 14 secured in place by a retaining pin 15. A cam shaft 16 is rotatably mounted in the engine tohave a cam lobe 17 thereof engage each roller to reciprocate the valve lifter and an engaged push rod 18 in a conventional manner.

A spool-like body portion 19 of the valve lifter has a lower annulus 20 and an upper annulus 21 defined therein. The lower annulus communicates lubricating oil from a passage 22, formed in the cylinder block, to

the valve lifter during engine operation. An upper land comprises a single, vertically disposed first guide portion or leg 26. A pair of arcuately shaped second guide portions or arms 27 extend horizontally from opposite edges of a lower end of the attached leg and a third guide portion or hook 28 is connected to an upper end of the leg at a reverse bend 29. The hook and arms are thus positioned onopposite sides of leg 26, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 3.

When installed, leg 26 seats in groove 24 whereas arms 27 are disposed in annulus or second groove 21 to substantially circumvent body portion 19. Hook 28 is disposed in a bore 30 formed on top of the engine block to prevent rotation of the guide. Reverse bend 29 thus projects upwardly above the block to fully expose it for easy removal for servicing purposes.

Spring-like arms 27 are preferably semi-cylindrical and have a diameter which is slightly larger than the diameter of bore 11, when in their relaxed, FIG. 3 condition, to effect a light press-fit relationship with the bore when installed therein. The ends of the arms are suitably spaced apart to adapt them for radial insertion into annulus 21 and about body portion 19.

A noise suppressing and damping action is provided during reciprocation of the valve lifter due to the presence of lubricating oil in annulus 21 and the close fit relationship existing between leg 26 and slot 24 The disposition of leg 26 in slot 24 and of leg 28 in bore 30 will function to retain the guide in position during all phases of engine operation and will'prevent rotation of the valve lifter relative to the engine block.

What is claimed is:

I. In an internal combustionv engine,

a stationary support member,

a valve lifter reciprocally mounted in a bore formed in said support member and having a first vertically disposed groove and a second circumferentially disposed groove formed thereon,

a one-piece valve lifter guide comprising a vertically disposed first guide portion disposed in said first groove and a pair of arcuately shaped second guide portions extending horizontally from opposite edges of said first guide portion and disposed in said second groove, and

anti-rotation means for preventing rotation of said valve lifter relative to said stationary supportmember.

2. The engine of claim 1 wherein said anti-rotation means further comprises a third guide portion, connected-to an upper end of said first guide portion, seated in a bore formed in said stationary support member.

3. The engine of claim 1 further comprising passage means formed in said stationary support member and on said valve lifter for communicating lubricating oil to said second groove upon reciprocation of said valve lifter.

4. The engine of-claim 1 wherein said valve lifter has a roller rotatably mounted on a lower end thereof and further comprising a cam shaft rotatably mounted in said stationary support member, said cam shaft having a cam lobe engaging said roller to reciprocate said valve lifter upon rotation of said cam shaft.

5. The engine of claim 1 wherein said first guide portion constitutes a single leg and said second guide portions constitute a pair of semicylindrical arms having their ends spaced apart to adapt them for radial insertion about said valve lifter.

tion constitutes a hook connected to the upper end of said first guide portion at a reverse bend to position said second guide portions and said hook on opposite sides of said first guide portion. 

1. In an internal combustion engine, a stationary support member, a valve lifter reciprocally mounted in a bore formed in said support member and having a first vertically disposed groove and a second circumferentially disposed groove formed thereon, a one-piece valve lifter guide comprising a vertically disposed first guide portion disposed in said first groove and a pair of arcuately shaped second guide portions extending horizontally from opposite edges of said first guide portion and disposed in said second groove, and anti-rotation means for preventing rotation of said valve lifter relative to said stationary support member.
 2. The engine of claim 1 wherein said anti-rotation means further comprises a third guide portion, connected to an upper end of said first guide portion, seated in a bore formed in said stationary support member.
 3. The engine of claim 1 further comprising passage means formed in said stationary support member and on said valve lifter for communicating lubricating oil to said second groove upon reciprocation of said valve lifter.
 4. The engine of claim 1 wherein said valve lifter has a roller rotatably mounted on a lower end thereof and further comprising a cam shaft rotatably mounted in said stationary support member, said cam shaft having a cam lobe engaging said roller to reciprocate said valve lifter upon rotation of said cam shaft.
 5. The engine of claim 1 wherein said first guide portion constitutes a single leg and said second guide portions constitute a pair of semicylindrical arms having their ends spaced apart to adapt them for radial insertion about said valve lifter.
 6. The engine of claim 5 wherein said arms have a diameter which is slightly larger than the diameter of said bore when said arms are in their relaxed condition.
 7. The engine of claim 5 wherein said second groove constitutes an annulus defined on said valve lifter.
 8. The engine of claim 2 wherein said third guide portion constitutes a hook connected to the upper end of said first guide portion at a reverse bEnd to position said second guide portions and said hook on opposite sides of said first guide portion. 